Austin, Eliphalet, House
Why it's listed
This three-story brick mansion in Austinburg, Ohio, is built in the Italian Villa style. Its cornice carries double-scrolled brackets alternating with small third-story porches, and a veranda with sawn ornament runs along the oldest, north wing. The brick walls are 16 inches thick, the interior has twenty-four rooms, and the hall stair rail is made of local chestnut. A brick outbuilding with matching details stands to the south. Tradition says Eliphalet Austin began part of the house in 1815, though the present form dates from the mid-1860s, probably under his grandson Louis B. Austin. Eliphalet Austin belonged to the Connecticut Land Company, arrived from Connecticut in 1799, and began settling Austinburg Township, which bears his name. He held large tracts across several Reserve counties, worked as a cattle dealer and mail contractor, and served in the State Senate from 1829 to 1831. The house stayed in the family until 1883 and passed to the Ellsworth family in 1904.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls the house of first importance in the history of Ashtabula County and the Western Reserve because of its ties to the family of Eliphalet Austin, a Connecticut Land Company member who began settling Austinburg Township. It is also described as a superior example of Italian Villa architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 75001313, listed February 24, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1879 OH 45, Austinburg |
|---|---|
| County | Ashtabula County |
| Listed | February 24, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001313 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1815-1883 |
| Architectural style | Italian Villa (Italianate) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as good and altered, on its original site. It is used for apartments and an antique shop. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 41.77540, -80.85518 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 75001313.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5361280
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.